Picture frame



Nov. 16, 1937. A, SCHULTZ 2,099,538

PICTURE FRAME Filed Sept. 9, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN VENTOR. Alfred 4- SchuH-z.

BY #QwL ORNEYS Nov. 16 1937.

A. H. SCHULTZ v v PICTURE FRAME Filed Sept. 9, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. Alfred fl Schuliz BY Patented Nov. 16, 1937 UNITED TATES PATENT oF icE PICTURE FRAME Alfred H. Schultz, New York, N. Y.

Applicatifln .sentem er 9, 1-936, Serial No. 99,995

9 Claims.

inventicn relates to improvements in display devices more particularly in the form of picture frames land the like.

Thegeneral object of this invention is to provide an improved and simplified structure of this nature which is so arranged that the item to be displayed, such as pictures and the like, may be readily inserted and removed, and to provide a device of this nature which is of apparently good appearance and adapted to wide variation in decq ative features.

The many specific objects of the invention which are successfully obtained by means of this invention will be apparent from the following description.

This invention resides substantially in the construction;combination, arrangement and relative location of partsall in accordance withthe disclosure as claimed. 1

In the drawings,

Figure 1 is a front elevational View of -one form of device in accordance with this invention;

Fig. Zis a rear ,elevational view thereof;

Fig. 3 is a front elevational view with the structureopened up to receive a picture or the like;

Fig. 4 is a cross sectional view taken on the line 4 ,,4 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 isan enlarged detail View of one corner with the structure partially opened up Showing 30 the method of folding employed;

.E'ig. 6 isafront elevational view of a modified form of structure;

Fig.7 is a detailed opened out view of one corner of the cover; i

Fig. 8 is a rear-elevational View of agfurther modified form of structure in accordance with th s inven i n;

Fig. 9 is asimilar view of a portion of the struc ture showing the tabs folded out;

Fig. 1-0 isa view similar to Fig. 7 of a portion of the cover of the structures of Figs. 8 and 9.

The physical structure comprising this invention is. inthe form when completely assembled and folded ,of a frame suitable for displaying picturesand the like. Each form of the device disclosed comprises a supporting sheet or plate I of any suitable material such as wood, composition material and the like which have inherent stiffness and rigidity. This member may of course be made of other suitable material such as heavy card-board, leather and the like. Attached to one face of the supporting member I, as by means of an adhesive for example, is a layer of covering material 2 such as felt, fabric and the like. Secured. to the rear face of the support thus formed bymeans of adhesive or the like, is the cover for the device which is attached tothe support over the area 3 leaving free the edges or flaps 3a, 3b, 3c, and 3d which project beyond the center portlpn 3 at each edge thereof as clearly shown in 5 the drawings. This cover member in the form of structure shown in Figs. lto 5 inclusive, consists simply of asquare or rectangular piece of the material dependingupo-n the shape of the center support and may be made of fabrics, suchas canvas for example, leather and in fact, any available, practical, foldable material. At each corner of the cover a tab or flap 4 is formed by, creasing or folding the adjacent edges 3a, 3b, 3c, and 3d along a line which lies in the projection of the diagonal of the center member l-,-;2,. These flaps may, ,if desired, be permanently united by means of eyelets 5 or other suitable fastening means. In some cases the flaps may merely be punctured by permanent attachment to each other. The edges are then folded in as is clear from Figs. 1 and 5 sothat the side edges 3a and 3cextend from top to bottom of the structure while the top and bottom edges 31) and Met each corner are folded upon themselves along the line B, as is clear from Fig. 5. The projecting tabs 4 are thenfolded over to the back as is clear from Fig. 2 and a cord or other suitable binding strand 1 is threaded through the eyelets 5 and tied as indicated at 8 sufficiently tight so that the edges which now 30 frame the structure are taut. If desired, in order to provide a support, a standard Ii] of anysuitable and appropriate material may be attached to the back by slitting it to. form the loop 9 in which the standard is attached. This feature forms no particular part of this invention since a large number of variations thereof are immediately apparent to those skilled in the art.

From the above descriptionit will be clear how a picture is placed upon the covering and enclosed by the edges to form ,a frame and to hold the picture in place.

The modification of Figs. ,6 and 7 makes it possible to vary the appearance of the device. In this case the edges 3a, 3b, 3c, and 3d are narrower along their lengths where they define the picture opening than they are at the corners. This is accomplished as shown in Fig. 7 by the manner of cutting the covering material at the corners and the way in which it is folded.

The covering material is again cemented to the center support l2 over the area 3, and the material is folded therearound along the lines II and I2 as before. At the corners the tabs I8 are formed. by folding the material first along the line l3 which is similar to the first folding of the previously described structure. The top and bottom flaps 3b and 3d are then folded in and upon themselves along the line I4 similar to the fold along the line 6 in Fig. 5. This brings the imaginary lines [5 and I6 into a superimposed relation which are the lines of fold of the tab l8 over tothe back of the structure as is clear from Fig. 6. The portions of the tabs I8 may be bound together by eyelets H! as before. The tabs are then secured at the back of the frame by means of a cord threaded through the eyelets as before. This arrangement gives a different appearance to the front of the device as is clear from Fig. 6.

In Figs. 8, 9, and 10 is shown another method of cutting and folding the tabs to provide an arrangement having an appearance at the front exactly like that of Fig. 1. The cover is cut as indicated at Fig. 10. The tabs are formed by first folding the edges where they come together along the line 22. The portions 21 and 2B are then folded around the remaining portion of the tab along the fold lines 24 and 25 which overlie each other as is clear from Fig. 9. The tabs thus formed are then eyeleted together by means of the eyelets 29 and then folded to the back of the frame as is clear from Fig. 8. Of course in folding in the flaps 3b and 363, they are again folded along lines as indicated at 23 Similar to the fold on the lines [4 and 6 of the other arrangement. As is clear from Fig. 8 the tabs thus formed extend more or less along the diagonals of the structure so that the cord 1 may be threaded through them along the diagonals and tied as at 8 to exert a pull on them in the direction in which the tabs project, insuring the drawing of the edges at the front fairly taut. a

It is of course apparent that many variation may be incorporated in the structures employing the principles of this invention. By way of example, the cord 1 could be readily eliminated and suitable fastening means of any one of a number of well known types could be substituted for securing the tabs at the back. 'The edges 3a, 3b, 3c, and 3d may be given greater rigidity by varying the thickness of the material or by securing a reinforcing striptherealong which could be of a decorative nature. a

I do not therefore desire to be strictly limited to the disclosure as given for purposes of illustration but rather to the spirit and scope of the invention as it is defined in the appended claims.

What I seek to secure by United States Letters Patent is:

1. A device of the type described comprising a center support, a cover secured to said support at the back having projecting edges folded over the front of the support and means for securing the edges in folded position comprising tabs formed from the edges and folded to the back of the support.

2. A device of the type described comprising a center support, a cover secured to said support at the back having projecting edges folded over the front of the support, means for securing the edges in folded position comprising tabs formed from the edges and folded to the back of the support and means for Securing the tabs in place.

3. A device of the type described comprising a center plate, a cover of flexible material secured to the back of the center plate so as to project therebeyond along all of its edges, means for securing the edges together at the corners to form flaps and means for securing the flaps at the back of the device.

4. A device of the type described comprising a center plate, a cover of flexible material secured to the back of the center plate so as to project therebeyond along all of its edges, means for securing the edges together at the corners to form'flaps and means for securing the flaps at the back of the device comprising a cord threaded between the tabs. 7

5. Ina device of the type described the combination comprising a center plate, a cover of flexible material secured to the center plate so as to uniformly project beyond all edges thereof, said edges being folded along a line coincident with the extended diagonals of the center plate and means for securing them together in folded relation to form tabs.

6. In a device of the type described the combination comprising a center plate, a cover of flexible material secured to the center plate so as to uniformly project beyond all edges thereof, said edges being folded along a line coincident with the extended diagonals of the center plate, means for securing them together in folded relation to form tabs, and said edges being folded down over the front of the center plate and the tabs folded over the back of the device and secured in place.

'7. A device of the type described comprising a center support, a cover overlying the rear face of said support and projecting beyond the edges thereof, the projecting edges of the cover being folded over the front of the support and means for securing the edges in folded position comprising tabs formed from the folded edges and in turn folded to the back of the support.

8. A'device of the type described comprising a center panel, a cover overlying one face of the panel, having edges projecting beyond the panel at all sides, said edges being folded over the front of the panel, means for securing the edges in folded position comprising tabs formed from'the edges folded to the back of the panel, and means for securing the tabs in place.

. 9. A device of the type described comprising a center panel, a cover overlying one face of the panel having edges projecting beyond the panel at all sides, said edges being folded over the front of the panel, means for securing the edges in folded position comprising tabs formed from the edges folded to the back of the panel and means for securing the tabs in place, said means comprising a cordextending between the tabs.

ALFRED H. SCHULTZ. 

